time, each acknowledged by his partisans as the infallible and supreme ruler of the world. This schism rent asunder the vaunted unity of the Latin church.

A. D.

1360.

former.

16. In the same century arose John Wicliff, John Wican English presbyter, who vehemently opposed English rethe scandalous licentiousness and ignorance of the monks, and was supported in his opposition by the Duke of Lancaster and the British parliament. He translated the Bible into English, and recommended all men diligently to study the sacred volume, instead of yielding implicitly to the authority of the church in the unscriptural dogmas she put forth.

CENT.
XV.

and Jerome

other wicked means avail to stifle

used without

the Reformation.

17. In the next century, the sovereigns of England, Germany and France, continued to John Huss oppose the insolent domination of the pope, of Prague with a determination that was rapidly gathering strength: while, on his part, he seemed to hold the sceptre with the greater tenacity, as the danger of losing it increased. At the same time, the spirit of religious liberty continued to spread, and the church of Rome was no less active in her endeavours to suppress it, torturing and destroying, wherever she had the power, all that ventured to judge in the smallest matter in opposition to her dictates. In this crusade against the religious liberty of mankind, John Huss and Jerome of Prague were committed to the flames; the laity were deprived of the sacramental cup; and it was actually declared, by a decree of the council of Constance, to be lawful to violate the most solemn engagements when made with those whom they called heretics.

Such were the efforts of Rome to extinguish the light of the Reformation, as soon as its dawn began to illumine the nations of the West.

CHAP.

II.

Roman

Church seeks to extend her

dominion in

the Eastern

and Western worlds

newly dis

covered.

But all opposition to its rising beams proved
unavailing. It is somewhere written-"The
Parthians shoot their arrows at the sun, and the
wolves howl at the moon: but what can their
impotence avail? The sun walks forth in his
brightness, and the moon holds on her course,
unhurt and undisturbed by the noise and the
insolence below." The church of Rome, like
the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem, found it hard “ to
kick against the pricks." Jesus was perse-
cuted in His disciples; and when He gave the
word,
"Hitherto shalt thou come, and no far-
ther," then "her proud waves" were stayed!
The cause of His Church continued to advance
in countries where it was most strenuously op-
posed. Some of its enemies He converted, like
Saul of Tarsus, into preachers of the "faith which
once they destroyed."2 In Bohemia, the fol-
lowers of the martyr, John Huss, successfully
resisted all efforts to reduce them to submission
to the pope and several other nations of Europe
were gradually preparing for the Reformation,
which, in the following century, was introduced
by Luther, Cranmer, and other devoted servants
of the Lord.

18. This review of the rise and progress of the papacy, down to the sixteenth century, will expose the fallacy of the pope's pretensions in reference to India. While the authority of the Roman church was thus rapidly declining in Europe, the discoveries in the East and West enabled her to extend her empire in both directions, and she did not omit to avail herself of

3 This brief sketch is drawn up chiefly from Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, Vol. ii. iii. and iv. where the facts here simply stated are given in detail.

Assuming

these advantageous circumstances.
the title of Catholic, she claimed the dominion
of the universal church: and no sooner was the
existence of the Syrian church in India disco-
vered, than the papal authorities began to assail
her independence, and to assert her original
subjection to Rome. We are already in pos-
session of facts enough to prove the invalidity of
such an assumption. It has appeared, that the
Syrian church existed and flourished in India,
ages before the world had heard of the fig-
ment of papal supremacy, and that the two
churches had at no time the slightest intercourse
with each other, before the arrival of the Portu-
guese on the coast of Malabar.

A. D. 1360.

church in

19. We may now be prepared to appreciate Reflections the wisdom of Divine Providence, in closing the the Syrian continent of India against the inhabitants of India. Europe, during the rise and progress of the papal domination. Had the church of Rome gained access to that country during the plenitude of her power, we cannot doubt, judging from her subsequent proceedings, that she would have left no means untried to destroy the identity of the church in Malabar; for the existence of that church in a state of independence, shook the foundation of her claims to universal dominion. The protection afforded to this establishment by heathen and Mahomedan rulers, presented a perfect contrast to the intolerance of Rome towards all persons and churches whose creed differed from her own. This is the admission of a Romanist, whose candour does him honour. Alluding to the violent measures adopted by his church to reduce all others to her sway, the Abbé Fleury has remarked"What great loss Christianity suffered in Asia is very manifest. If the Saracens had held the

CHAP.

II.

same principles which were received among the Latin christians of these times, they would not have suffered one Christian to live in their dominions. But this nation, though guilty of various crimes and oppressions, yet judged it to be an act of too much iniquity and cruelty; whilst the Romanists accounted it a pious deed to destroy by fire and sword all who were of a different religion from themselves, and refused to be converted."1

It is the custom, in an age calling itself more liberal and enlightened, to put down such statements as these, as the assertions of bigotry or the apprehensions of dotage. We maintain,

that they are neither the one nor the other, but, historic facts. The whole proceedings of the Romish emissaries in India towards the Syrian Christians, will form both an illustration and a confirmation of the Abbé Fleury's remarks. Had their insidious designs and cruel efforts to reduce them from the faith of their fathers been made at an earlier period, this church might have been wholly absorbed in that of Rome : whereas, under the more righteous and liberal sway of Mahomedan and pagan rulers, as the unconscious agents of a wise and gracious Providence, she acquired a stability that long resisted all the craft and violence of her Romish enemies, to destroy her identity and independence. She now stands, if not so erect in truth and righteousness as we would fain desire, yet, as one of the most interesting monuments of ecclesiastical antiquity, and a lasting rebuke of the papal pretensions to universal dominion in the Christian world.

1

Fleury's Ecclesiastical History, xix. Discourse, p. 20. See Jortin's Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, Vol. v. pp. 375, &c.

A. D. 1500.

Voyage of
Pedro Al-

to India:

Christians.

20. But to proceed with the history of the events that will establish the justice of this remark. The account which Vasco de Gama gave of his discoveries, encouraged several Por- vares Cabral tuguese adventurers to embark in the commerce brings home with India. Among them was one Pedro Al- two Indian vares Cabral, who was the first to bring to Europe intelligence of the Christian churches on the coast of Malabar. Having landed at Cranganore, he became acquainted with several Christians in the neighbourhood, and so far gained their confidence, that two of them, who were brothers, ventured on board his fleet, and then consented to sail with him to Europe. It was their intention to proceed from Portugal to Mosul, to visit the patriarch there, who was still the acknowledged head of their church. The names of these Christians were, Matthias and Joseph. Soon after their arrival at Lisbon, Matthias, the elder, died. Joseph then visited Rome, and proceeded thence to Venice; but we have no account of his having accomplished his intended journey to Persia. While at Venice, he gave a description of his travels and of the Malabar Christians, which was published in Latin, under the title of " Voyages of Joseph the Indian." We have no further particulars of this Joseph, than that he returned from Venice to Portugal, and thence sailed back to his native land.

A. D. 1502.

Second

voyage of

Vasco de

21. In the year 1502, Vasco de Gama undertook a second voyage to India, when the king of Portugal conferred on him the title of Admiral of the Indian, Persian, and Arabian Seas. In Gama: the month of February, 1502, he sailed from welcome the Tagus with a fleet of twenty sail under his him, & place This account has since appeared in several collections of La Croze, p. 49.

travels.

Christians

themselves under his protection.